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When one hears of an “above ground pool,” the image that most likely springs to mind is that of an inflatable, Wal-Mart variety one. Yet above ground pools can be well-made and provide a cheap alternative to the below-ground status symbol kind. Heating an above ground pool isn’t all that difficult, considering all you have to do is plug the pool heater to one of its sides. While these heaters are generally affordable and safe, trying to pick one can leave you scratching your head without knowing what to look for. Above ground pool heaters are categorized into electric, gas or solar ones. Each of the three types has its pros and cons, and you should carefully study them all before making a decision.

It’s not just about the heaters themselves, but also the layout of your home’s surrounding area and your interior design: for example, have you experienced flooding from your above ground pool or a nearby pipe, and had to have water extraction performed in your yard? Somewhat paradoxically, water can ruin a pool heater, so if flooding has been an issue, perhaps you’ll want a heater that’s not as vulnerable to water exposure. Taking note of these little things can save you a great deal of money later on.

Electric above ground pool heaters

Let’s start off with the simplest of the bunch. As is the case with most appliances, an electric heater will generally be more reliable than others – can’t beat a plug-n-play system. These heaters are also called ‘electric resistance heaters’ based on how they operate – through a resistor unit that will first use electric current to power itself and then convert the energy to heat the water inside the pool.

Electric heaters will probably be the first choice of many due to relatively low prices and ease of use. Sure, the installation is a bit complicated, but it’s all smooth sailing (or swimming) from there on, right? Well, yes and no. An electric heater can turn out to be a lot more expensive than the other two types, making it a subpar choice for larger pools and even some medium-sized ones.

Solar above ground pool heaters

Even ‘greener’ than electric heaters, these use nothing but solar power to provide warmth to your pool. They probably sound better than they really are, though – despite numerous advances, solar technology is still in its infancy, and it shows whenever someone tries to use solar energy as a main source of power. Right now, these panels are best utilized as auxiliary power sources.

A solar pool heater doesn’t really come with any monthly costs and won’t be prone to breaking down, but it also won’t deliver as much juice – no sun will mean the pool is off-limits for you and your family.

Gas above ground pool heaters

As always, gas tends to be a messy option, despite creating good results. Gas heaters have an efficiency that is comparable to electrical ones, but make many feel uncomfortable – they pollute the environment and tend to bring explosive thoughts to people.

They are cheap to install for the most part, but otherwise rely on an expensive resource whose price is subject to further hikes; they can also break down in just a couple of years.

Wind turbines translate the wind in the atmosphere into electricity. Most turbines are fairly straightforward in their design: a tall supportive structure with 2-3 propellers on top. These vertical-axis turbines are what most people think about when they picture a wind turbine. Although far less common, there is also an “egg beater” style of turbine, also called a horizontal-axis turbine, properly named after its creator, the Darrieus turbine. Both types rely on wind energy to turn the propellers which are modeled after the wings of an aircraft. Too much or too little “pitch,” or slant, will result in propellers that do not turn efficiently.

The propellers on either kind of turbine work kind of like a fan set on reverse. Most modern designs are both “pushed” and “pulled” by the kinetic energy of the wind to generate the most energy possible. Most of these kinds of turbines are fitted with sensory equipment that turns the turbine to face the wind, maximizing the wind energy that is harnessed.

Of course, the wind isn’t constantly blowing, so wind-generated electricity must sometimes be stored in batteries. Wind energy has the distinct advantage of being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unlike solar power, which is, obviously, only available during the day. It is common to see wind energy used in combination with some other energy source such as solar power or hydroelectricity to maximize the benefits of both.

Mechanics of Wind Energy Turbines

The actual mechanics of how a wind turbine works is strikingly simple. When one turbine (or an entire farm of them) begins to turn, the energy created turns a series of shafts and gears that run the length of the tower. This turning energy is funneled through the head of the turbine to an induction generator – again, a reverse version of a normal generator – which has the job of turning the wind into electricity. The generator does this by sending the energy from the rotating shaft into a rotor that has oppositely charged magnets within. The flowing electrons of copper coils inside the generator create what we know as electricity.

This electricity is then directed into a power grid by large cables where it is collected and held until needed. Substations boost the turbines’ output so that more electricity can be created. The power grid enables power companies and operators to direct certain amounts of electricity to where it is required. At this point, wind energy is exactly like regular electricity. Power stations and fuse boxes must be implemented to regulate the voltage for normal homes and other establishments.

Turbines can be small enough to run a single home or business using air ducts, or they can be large enough to power up to 1400 all-electric buildings. Many “green” companies are seeing the benefits of putting miniature turbines on their roofs to supplement their power needs. Over 80 countries around the world supply at least part of their electric needs with wind energy, Denmark leading the way with 40% of its power supply coming from wind.

There are many different types of construction involved in different types of residential buildings and it is considered to be one of the most popular types of construction. While these different types could include anything from townhouses, condos, regular family homes and apartments to name a few, each one is structured differently and include a market of their own.

The residential construction industry is the one of the biggest and highest in demand due to the fact that nearly every person needs to invest in some kind of residence in their life.

One thing that needs to be considered before deciding which residential property type to invest in is one’s lifestyle and whether or not it aligns with the home you choose to live in. Other than that, there are countless pros and cons to taking into consideration before purchasing or letting a property.

Different Types of Residential Building Types

Single-Family Home

As a popular option amongst residential property types, single-family homes, or rather known as SFH, offer a lot more privacy and a lot of space, which is often not offered in other homes. These homes also come with front and back yards, as well as allow you to get creative and express yourself with design in your own home. These types of homes can also resell at much better value than purchased. The only negative aspect about buying a family home is that it’s a bit more of a permanent and there are a lot more costs involved with regards to repairs and maintenance of the hose.

Townhouse

Best described as a combination between a condo and a family home, a townhouse is known for having a few floors with a few walls and sometimes even include a small yard on a deck. These are usually bigger than condos, but a lot smaller than a family home. Townhouses also offer a lot more privacy and lower costs involved due to proper maintenance agreements. These are known for being quite charming and are especially perfect for one to two people.

Multi-family home

Choosing to rent or buy a multi-family home is a big responsibility and costs are much higher than with any other type of residential building. That is also why it is a much less common option. These are usually structured as either a two-story house or have a row-style set up of rooms. The house usually won’t have more than 4 units within its space.

Condominium

More popularly known as condos, these are single units inside a larger building and most commonly share a wall on either side with two neighbor units. These will always require you to pay monthly or yearly fees and are mostly found in high-density, urban-like areas. The one positive factor about these is that the homeowner doesn’t have the responsibility of contributing to the maintenance of the condo. Any maintenance costs will usually be shared amongst you and the other residents. Condos are ideal constructive living spaces that usually include a pool and gym that can be shared amongst everybody in the building.

Co-op

Short for cooperatives, co-ops are known for having a similar construction set up than a condo but is different in the sense that you won’t just own your space within the unit you’re living in, but you’ll own the building together with everyone else. In order to obtain a co-op, there is an interview process involved before you will be accepted to do so. Co-op’s are much less expensive than condos.

When it comes to the construction industry, there are few industries that can relate to the depth of responsibility, high budgets, overall management and risks that come with it.

Management of construction is not an easy task and it requires a great set of skills in order to maintain proper standards, comply to regulations and ensure the safety of the contractors, subcontractors and professionals on site.

Due to the big window for error and a daily risk of possible injuries working with big materials and structures, there must be laws and guidelines set in place regarding health and safety which must be complied to at all times.

The Risks Involved with Construction

The entire concept of health and safety is vital in the management of construction and if not complied with, can cause a lot of damage and even result in death. There has been an estimate of roughly 25% of casualties involved due to accidents caused in the industrial construction industry.

Before being recruited for a job, one has to complete health and safety training or at least be wary of all the guidelines regarding health and safety before even being able to work on a site.

Although the industry and its line of work have resulted in many casualties, safety is considered an incredibly crucial part of the industry and is emphasized on a daily basis. Whenever an accident occurs on-site or someone gets is injured as a result of their work on site, companies and major enterprises are harmed financially as well. That is why health and safety are also taken very seriously.

Construction Safety Management

The majority of construction accidents take place during work hours and is mainly due to unorganized construction projects where the necessary planning and health and safety checks are disregarded and not set in place.

A construction project module needs to always be analyzed in order to meet safety requirements and comply with laws and regulations of the industry, as well as the state, at all times.

Implementation of Proper Safety Management

Whenever an incident occurs cause must be investigated and a big process with regards to regulations must be implemented accordingly.

Incidents are divided and referred to in four different categories which include the following:

Equipment on site is unsafe

People on site do not have the proper action guidelines, which may cause incidents to occur which could’ve been prevented.

The environment is unplanned and not structured correctly for safety purposes when it comes to people on site, as well as equipment and materials.

The management does not comply according to standards and influences the people on site, the equipment, and the environment in a negative manner.

These reasons conclude the objective as to why injuries may occur on site. Rules and regulations regarding health and safety are put in place to regard the safety and proper construction of an entire project.

If ever a construction plan or its site’s safety is compromised, necessary actions and changes need to be implemented to ensure the future safety of the people working on the relevant site, as well as the sustainability of the company that manages the site and construction thereof.

All companies should comply to industrial laws and follow the necessary procedures, in order to prevent accidents and reduce or eliminate the possibility of casualties on site.

The Legal Overview of Establish a Safety Management Model

The first goal involved with the implementation of a new safety management model includes proper integration resources, which corresponds to the purpose and requirements needed to reduce situations and settings that might lead to possible accidents.

What is the Principle of the Safety and Prevention Rule?

There are a general safety and preventative rule that needs to be complied with before starting daily work on a construction site. It involves both the fundamentals and regulations regarding safe production within any country. By law, these rules need to be adhered to and the results must show through an improved project safety management model, which is a process that needs to include and follow necessary procedure.

Combining Production and Safety Together

Safety needs to be implemented before production at all times and assessed on a regular basis by a project manager, which will allow for control over the production environment, process and methods. The combination of production and safety is also important to prevent any incidents from occurring due to lack of management.

Participation of All Parties Are Important

The one factor that often inflicts an opportunity for something to go wrong or lead to an injury and even damage to construction and materials, is people’s behaviour and attitude towards work. On many occasions, employees tend to take their work with a pinch of salt and do not recognize the necessary implications of their actions or lack of caution, which may result in a violation of health and safety regulations. Lacking self-protection awareness can also promote incidents to occur.

It is often thought that a safety manager needs to take charge and a lack of management is his/her fault, but a manager can only do so much. If employees do not wish to comply, any incidents or IOD’s could be the employee’s own fault.

How to Improve Construction Sites for Success

Update the management system –The goals if a safety manager should be to constantly have the objective in mind of not having any accidents take place on duty. The correct procedures and measures should thus be reviewed and implemented to ensure optimal safety.

Safety culture should be taught to staff and educational courses or programs regarding health and safety should be provided to cultivate the necessary safety culture. Every department should also have a manager set in place to provide employees with necessary information, updates and safety measures daily.

Implement Change

Shift the idea of simple to full participation of safety management.

Change safety management to integrated management, which will allow for progress while combining process and construction methods.

Change the intermittent management structure to continuous and a more dynamic type of management.

Shift the safety and production from different sources to one that involves production and safety.

In the role of any type of Manager, there are many aspects of successful planning, execution, control over different facets of the work environment and monitoring involved. When it comes to the line of construction, there is a more cautious and special planning range of skills involved. One must have the ability to ask questions, detect assumptions, as well as address and resolve conflicts between employees or any situation you’re presented with.

What is the Role of a Construction Project Manager?

There is a broad scope of work that encompasses the title of a construction project manager and it all starts with agreeing to a set of responsibilities such as seeing a project through and successfully delivering it without complications to the client. A project manager also has to always be mindful of reaching his/her target when it comes to a set date, managing what work should be done when and by who and goals which include when the sub-components of a project should be concluded.

They must thus be able to manage a team and perform well within certain time frames while getting the job done. The role also involves being mindful of sticking to strict budgets, as well as creating a positive environment for clients throughout their contracts.

The scope of work includes management of service deliveries that should be finished on time, according to a set schedule. Project managers should have strong personalities and be able to finish a task and take initiative when it comes to adapting to different situations and settings. He/ She will be able to support team leadership values and take control as the leader where needed.

The Responsibilities of a Project Manager

Managing daily duties on site, utilisation and the implementation of client assignment. This includes ensuring that the correct material is on site.

The development of good work relationships within the workplace, as well as with directors and general staff management.

Co-ordinating support levels and training.

Planning and arranging meetings with clients, both existing and potential, as well as supporting and enhancing overall work relationships.

Generating reports on the project at hand and required actions that must be taken.

Taking that the line of work is construction and there is a great amount of risk involved for all who works in construction, a project manager has the duty to inform and educate his/her team to ensure their safety and the safety of the site. The project manager should also recognize the need for training and ensure their team is always up to standard with the project at hand, including general construction knowledge.

Being educated regarding disaster and risk management operations might seem irrelevant to most people, but it’s incredibly important to those professionals out there who work hard to ensure the safety of a building, the people within that building, as well as the wellbeing of the entire community.

Take firefighters, for instance, or people whose job description involves deconstructing a building or house, as well as any person involved in the procedures of disaster risk management. These professionals have a lot of factors to consider when being taught how to implement their job description on the regular.

One of the most important things firefighters and professionals are taught is how buildings are constructed differently, as well as the importance of different structures and materials integrated into buildings.

Being educated on different building constructions and these materials allows firefighters to predict when a building or house was built and whether it has collapse tendencies. This also allows them to determine the severity of a fire, determine the effects of large quantities of smoke and even the risk factors involved with a flood.

5 Different Categories of Buildings and Structures

When a building is measured, it can be categorized into one of five categories which ranges from how stout the construction is and how fragile it can become due to fires. These types include different characteristics, which will help firefighters and disaster risk professionals to bring a distressed building or situation to complete safety.

Fire-Resistive

As the stoutest structure that’s prone to encourage high-rising levels of fire, which is usually the case with buildings that are over 75 feet tall. In recent years these fire-resistive structures have also been implemented in buildings that are 35 to 55 feet high. Commonly, these structures consist of concrete and are integrated with steel, which all adds to its perfect design that allows for protection against fire.

Non-Combustible

This type of structure is found in relatively new buildings and existing building that has been remodeled from previous commercial structures. The walls and roofs of this type of construction implement non-combustible materials that are integrated into walls and include a metal structure and a combination of these materials covering the top of the roof.

Standard Structures

These structures can be old or new. Either way, they have non-combustible walls and roofs that are made from wood. The newer the building, the lighter the roof system will be and is most likely to be supported by a tilt-slide and reinforced masonry. This type of structure includes constructions that range from panelized roof systems to parallel chord truss.

Wood Framed Structures

Found in the modern day home with roofs and walls that are also made from combustible materials, which includes wood on a common basis. Most often, both the roof and walls will be wood-framed with a rooftop consisting of asphalt or ceramic tiles over either lightweight OSB or trusses.

Heavy Timber

Found in older buildings, utilizing lumber for interior elements or structural parts in a building. This type of building is the safest in conditions of fire, but often the least contained.

The word construction is a simple word, but a broad term that is used to define a process that involves bringing an idea together and to life. The process encompasses the setting up of a portable plant or site, where the material is implemented and kept on site until the work is completed. This process initially results in creating an end product, which involves either using these materials to fix something or working towards building a final product.

Construction can thus be defined as the preparation of immobile and in most cases, extremely big structures such as airports, malls, roads, tunnels, power plants, dams and buildings to name but a few.

Construction Projects Overview

A construction project always starts with a visible outcome in mind and has a planned starting point, as well as an end goal, which is defined by objectives. All projects are built around resources, which needs to be implemented to gradually progress towards what needs to be accomplished.

A construction site generally involves very expensive products and materials, which is implemented to build or adjust the final product. These materials are also heavy duty and require a proper geographical site, suited to the requirement of what needs to be built.

When a site is chosen, it needs to be custom tailored, which also requires bigger components to be manufactured at another location.

The process to finalize the end product includes a lot of planning and production as it will serve as a permanent improvement or addition to an economy’s infrastructure and serve as some sort of social investment that involves a lot of money and budgeting.

When Does the Planning Process of Construction Come to Life?

After the relevant building structure is planned, governmental policies need to be set in place and be compliant with the current and future state of the economy.

What makes a building or structure such as a road, airport or facility unique is adjusting it in such a way that it has the capacity to be remodelled if needed in the future. It must also have low-profit margins and aid as a highly competitive structure in its economy.

Professionals of Relevance to the Construction Industry

Since planning and managing a construction site takes a lot of time, work and endless sources of money, there are many different parties involved when implementing construction and it starts with an owner. The owner of the plot, which will be used to set up a construction site for a building, will hire a qualified architect, as well as a contractor who has a team of subcontractors. There will also be material and equipment suppliers involved and regulatory agencies to ensure that the site is kept safe at all times and inspected for any possible injuries and insurance purposes.

When it comes to health and safety in the construction industry, there are a lot to consider and countless regulations that need to be adhered to. The set up of a construction site is the most important factor in the planning of a construction project. It involves a lot of specific planning when it comes to the layout of the site, the team who are picked to perform the necessary work for the project, the materials that are chosen to sustain whatever is being built or remodelled and a lot of paperwork that includes budgeting, health and safety regulations and more.

Adhering to health and safety laws is something that cannot be taken lightly, and it involves the entire site that is under construction to be set up according to these regulations. If not set up accordingly, there could be a lot of potential risks, damage and authority involved. This could also put the client at risk of losing a lot of money. So, it’s an incredibly important requirement.

Paperwork and documentation must be set in place at all times in order to comply with regulations and communicate information from one party to another. Paperwork is also kept for record and procedure purposes.

Information on display

On every construction site, there is a set of rules and information that needs to be displayed for all to see. This is the first requirement of setting up a construction site.

What you’ll need:

A notice board for important information displays to your team.

Insurance certificates on the notice board.

Health and safety laws.

Fire and Emergency escape plans for safety purposes.

Safety signage which is suitable for display at the perimeter of the site.

An F10

Health and Safety Measures

All activities must be planned for the assurance of safety. You’ll need a set of documents available at the start of a site set up which includes risk assessments, work permits that control the high level of risk activities on the site, as well as method statements to ensure that safety procedures of working are adhered to and documented at all times.

Manage your documentation

You will need a list of project documents for each phase of the construction project at hand. These include the following:

H&S Policy – This policy must be set in plays in case of employing more than 5 employees. It requires you to have a written document regarding health and safety policies.

Contract Documentation – This type of documentation is needed for explaining the scope of work and the layout of the entire project. These include architect drawings, specifications and calculations.

Construction Phase Plan – Referred to as a CDM document, this document is mandatory for every project.

Project Surveys – These documents include ground investigations, asbestos surveys and service surveys.

Health and Safety paperwork

For record purposes, you’ll require forms that state the adherence of complying to health and safety duties and regulations.

Construction is a field that ranks quite high in the general job providing space and provides employment to people all over the world. Construction companies, in general, are managed on a project-to-project period basis. This means that a lot of jobs in construction aren’t full time, but in high demand and if you’re a good contractor, subcontractor or anyone in the general field, you’ll always be asked back to complete more work and might even be the first person that gets called by staffing firms or listed as the employee to call as soon as the next project becomes available.

Construction is thus a good industry to be apart of as there are always work or use for your skills somewhere. If you’re experienced enough in construction, you can even work as an individual contractor and make yourself known by construction companies as there are always work available at companies for more professionals to work on sites. The best way to go about getting work is by already being screened and evaluated by a company or staffing agency and be screened or listed on their systems.

5 Different Types of Careers in Construction

Construction Carpenter

There are many jobs available in the industry of construction, but one of the most popular, dating back centuries, is a construction carpenter. Pursuing a career as a construction carpenter provides a reliable source of work that is always constant, as there are many needed all over the world.

This career includes shaping, cutting and the installation of raw materials during the early construction phase. Although often referred to as woodworking, there is a lot more work surrounding the job scope of being a construction carpenter and the salary is quite good.

Plumber

Looking at construction from a different part of the industry, plumbers are known to have very important job descriptions and are in an ever-increasing high demand as new homes get built each day. Construction plumbers are generally charged for installation, as well as reworking on systems that are used for the purposes of drinking water, draining and sewage.

Mason

A career as a mason includes being responsible for different blocks of construction that involve separate pieces which are glued together by different types of substances. A mason’s work scope includes marble, concrete, and bricks. Their salary is also quite decent and ranges from anything between $24 to $40 per hour.

Construction Electrician

Apart from a general electrician’s basic duties, the job scope involves wiring and circuitry construction in a building or house. These electricians are also in charge of remodelling electrical systems and structures that need lighting. Electricians are also in extremely high demand.

Welder

As a more common construction type job, a welder’s job description involves using machines referred to as welding power supplies in order to fuse two or more materials together. Being a welder can be a bit dangerous and requires the person to wear protective clothing and take preventative caution at all times.